LAKELAND- Creekside coach Will Mayer said his team lived by the motto ‘Climbing Mount Everest’ all season long.
To bad they had to climb Mount Everest and Mount Fuji both today as the Knights bid for the school’s first state title came up short in a 77-54 loss to state power Blanche Ely in the Class 8A state title game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Ely (24-8) won the school’s seventh state title, sixth under Melvin Randall and their fifth in the last seven years.
Creekside led 11-3 halfway through the first quarter, before the wheels fell off 21-5 run put the game out of reach due to numerous turnovers and unbelievable shooting by Ely.
Trailing 15-14 at the start of the second quarter, Mayer was given a technical foul and minutes later senior Noah Lippy was also hit with a technical foul leading to a huge momentum swing with six free throws plus possession of the ball.
“I never let my players make execuses, but they called a blocking foul on a charge and they got me for throwing my jacket on the bench and I apologize for that,” Mayer said about the technical foul. ”
“The ref said I got in the kids face and then I head butted him,” Lippy said. “It was my fault.”
From there it only got worse as the Tigers kept pouring it on thanks to lights out shooting from the free throw line at 82 percent (14 of 17 in the first half) and 60% behind the arc (6 of 10 from three point range in the first half) as Ely led 36-19 with 2:45 left till half time.
“They hit some tough shots,” senior Caleb Townsend said.
“They were a couple of momentum swings during the first half as well,” Lippy added.
While Ely couldn’t miss, Creekside missed numerous lay ups and was 1 of 11 from the three point line which led to their doom.
Down 42-29 at the half, Creekside got as close as 11 points early in the third but couldn’t climb the hill or in this case both Everest and Fuji.
Mejhi Parker, who picked up three quick fouls in the first quarter alone, picked up back-to-back fouls late in the third quarter to foul out of the game with 1:37 left in the quarter.
He wasn’t the only one as DJ Dumas, who finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds, fouled out early in the fourth quarter.
Even the usual reliable J-michael Plummer and Noah Lippy missed several layups and uncontested three point shots.
During a stretch during the fourth quarter, Creekside missed a three point grabbed the rebound and missed the ensuing two put backs, it was that kind of day for the Knights.
Kenny Isnord, who scored six points, with all three coming on dunks in the final quarter which brought the Tigers fans to their feet as they began to celebrate another state title.
However, it was to much Joshua Scott (26 points), Michael Forrest (21 points) and Anthony Byrd (14 points) for the Knights to over come.
Lippy lead the Knights in scoring with 14 and 5 rebounds, while Plummer chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds and Dumas finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
The five seniors reflected on their time at the Final Four and their careers coming to a close.
“It’s a big accomplishment to get here, I am so glad to be here, these are my brothers we have been playing together for the last four years,” Dumas added. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out, I’m glad we made it here, we just came up a bit short.”
“I am a very competitive person, I don’t like to lose, the goal was to win this but I’m glad we got here,” Lippy stated. “Thought we had a chance to win it but we got into foul trouble early.”
“It’s been a very long journey for all of us, its tough seeing it end but this isn’t the final chapter there is still more to come from all of us,” Plummer softly said.
While it wasn’t the outcome the Knights (27-5) wanted they had already climbed the mountain and got to the top of it, something to build on next year and the years to come.
“We took to the motto climbing Mt. Everest as we have been climbing that mountain for the last three years to get here and we were finally able to get here, we just couldn’t plant the flag,” Mayer said.
